Chelsea’s Victor Moses reaffirms his commitment to Nigeria

Chelsea’s Victor Moses reaffirms his commitment to Nigeria

Nigeria international Victor Moses says he wants to “play every game for his country” and is happy to have put a “stop-start” international career behind him.

Moses, 25, starred for Nigeria as they won the 2013 Nations Cup and played in the qualifiers en route to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

But niggling injuries forced the Chelsea winger away from international fixtures before he re-joined the Super Eagles this year.

“I’m really happy to be back with Nigeria again after a stop-start international career,” Moses told BBC Sport.

“I’ve been injured lots of times and that spell gave the fans the wrong impression about my international commitment.

“It was frustrating but I’m over that, played the last three competitive games and getting better. When you’re playing you enjoy yourself.”

Moses, who had spent the last three seasons on loan at Liverpool, Stoke and west Ham, has scored twice in four appearances for Chelsea this season.

The former Wigan and Crystal Palace winger believes his form for club will only benefit his country in the 2018 World Cup qualifying matches starting with an away fixture in Zambia next month.

“I want to play every single game for my country and I need to keep doing well at Chelsea to enjoy that,” he said.

“We’ve failed to reach the next Nations Cup but we have a new manager and things must take a great path for us to reach the World Cup.

“The three countries in our group [Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia] are desperate to be in Russia. I played the last one in Brazil with an injury but I want to play in the next one and it starts with that tough away game against Zambia.”

Former England youth international Moses made his debut for Nigeria in February 2012, and has scored seven goals in 25 appearances for the three-time African champions.